Rose Sulan Ganing holding the award she received during the dinner.
MIRI: For the past 22 years, village chief Rose Sulan Ganing has been walking the talk and leading by example by being a regular blood donor.
Her most recent donation was on June 29, bringing her total to 52 pints of blood.
“I am not complacent, but will continue to donate my blood as long as I am healthy and eligible, to help the sick and the needy, even if it’s just a single drop,” Rose told The Borneo Post.
Rose who is the chief of Kampung Lusut in Taman Tunku as well as a pre-school teacher, first became aware of the importance of blood in saving lives when she visited the sick in need of blood transfusion at the hospital.
She first donated blood in 1994 at the Blood Bank at the old hospital at Pulau Melayu, across Miri River.
Since then, she would donate blood regularly by participating in blood donation drives in the city or by visiting the Miri Hospital Blood Bank.
Rose’s altruistic effort did not go unnoticed by the Malaysian Red Crescent (MRC) Miri Chapter during its annual ‘Blood Donor’s Appreciation Night’ on Saturday to recognise the contributions of blood donors.
MRC Sarawak chairman Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam who was guest-of-honour presented Rose and other donors with awards to show the organisation’s appreciation.
Rose revealed that this was her second award, following the first received in 2009.
“Indeed, I am happy to receive this award. Of course, in the first place when I donated my blood, I did it willingly without any obligation nor did I expect any returns or awards.
“I feel happy that I can do my part to save lives through donating blood,” she said.
She appealed to the public to become blood donors to save lives of those in need of the precious fluid.
As for existing donors, she hoped they would maintain their healthy lifestyle so as to be able to continue giving blood.